Saratov, Samara and Kazan will host 3 regular season games on Tuesday.
Avtodor (Saratov) vs MBA-MAI (Moscow)
Time: 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Saratov, Saratov, DS Kristall
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Avtodor: The Saratov team failed to take road win from Kazan, losing the starting lineup to UNICS in a big way and failing to comeback. For the second game in a row, the shooting percentage was poor (32.8%), which is a troubling sign before facing an aggressive and tough MBA-MAI defense. But the Volga team is in the Top 3 in steals (9.3 per game), and also outperform the opponent in rebounding average. Milenko Bogicevic team is sure to come out in a special mood to take revenge on the Moscow team for the loss in the first round of last season’s play-in game.
MBA-MAI: The Moscow team opened the winning score by beating Astana on the road, and moved closer to Avtodor in the standings. Andrey Zubkov scored 25+ points for the second time this season and was named to the Team of the Week. He’s sure to be a problem for the Saratov team defense as well. MBA-MAI and the future opponent have about the same offensive efficiency, so the game is likely to be tense. Offensive discipline will play an important role, as the teams are in the Top 2 in turnovers per game (15.8 for the Volga team and 15.7 by MBA-MAI).
Samara (Samara Region) vs Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod)
Time: 19:30 (18:30 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Samara, SKK “Dvorets Sporta”
Broadcast: League website
Samara: The team put up a fight against Loko in Krasnodar, led for 3 quarters, but still lost in the end (76:64). Nyssier Brooks made his debut, helping the team not to lose rebounds. Now Samara will play at home for the first time, which will add to the players’ confidence, which will come in handy against Pari NN. The future opponent surpasses Drazen Anzulovic team in most team stats, as well as being 3 spots higher in the standings. However, the hosts now have 4 bigmen capable of creating an advantage in the paint, so fans should expect an equal game.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Despite the loss, the trip to St. Petersburg was an effective. The team was able to comeback from a 17-point deficit and drag Zenit to the end, in which the team still lost. The road series will continue against Samara, which is gaining momentum. Nizhny has been outperforming its future opponent this season in average scoring and assists, better offensive rebounding, and is in the Top 2 in rebounds per game (39.3). Therefore, Sergey Kozin team is in optimal condition for the Volga derby.
UNICS (Kazan) vs Astana (Astana)
Time: 19:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
UNICS: The team has a 3-game winning streak, the last of which came at home against Avtodor. The Kazan team won the first quarter 29:9 and didn’t allow the Saratov team to get back into the game. Velimir Perasovic team gained momentum after a difficult start and has already secured the place in the Top 5. UNICS will surely have the advantage in rebounds as the best rebounding team in the League (40.8 rebounds per game).
Astana: The return of Markell Johnson did not help Fotis Takianos team to end losing streak – Astana lost at home to MBA-MAI. The trip to Kazan is also likely to be difficult. But the team’s leaders are performing well – T.J. Starks and Johnson are among the Top 10 best socrers in the League. If the stars can once again show effective play and Astana players will support, the team will have a chance to put up a fight against a formidable opponent.
